Emily the Stirling Single Engine
by DonaldDouglasandToby6
Summary: This is another RWS-style book this time of Emily.
1. Emily's New Coaches

Daisy the Diesel Railcar wasn't feeling well. She couldn't pull or even move by herself without going, "OUCH!"

Percy thought it was just Daisy being lazy again.

"I wouldn't put it past her," he scoffed, but Thomas and Toby were worried.

"It's not like Daisy. Something must be wrong," said Toby.

The Fat Controller drove up to see what was the matter.

"Daisy! Why haven't you left for your train yet?" he boomed. Her driver walked up.

"She needs an overhaul at the Works sir. She's not doing very well."

The Fat Controller was now worried for Daisy.

"Well, then James shall take you to the Works." he said and he turned to the others.

"James? But I don't like him!" spluttered Daisy.

"I can tell you're going to need help, so I shall purchase a new engine to take Daisy's place."

Thomas, Percy and Toby were excited, but also felt sorry for Daisy.

A few days later, Thomas was bringing Annie and Clarabel back to Knapford yards before taking a load of produce to market.

At the station, the Fat Controller climbed off a Stirling Single's cab.

"She's perfect," he beamed just as Thomas bustled into the station.

The Stirling Single was a dark green with a gleaming brass dome.

She looked over to see Thomas looking confused.

"Sir, is this the new engine?" Thomas asked.

"Yes. Thomas, meet Emily from the Great Northern Railway." the Fat Controller said, "She's going to help out while Daisy's getting her overhaul."

"Hello Emily," chuffed Thomas.

"And hello right back to you," replied Emily.

"Emily, collect some coaches from the yard and take some passengers along the line. You and your driver must learn the line." said the Fat Controller.

"Yes sir, right away sir!" replied Emily and she puffed away. Thomas was impressed.

In the yard, Percy was collesting some empty milk tankers to take to St. Pedroc's Dairy.

Emily arrived to collect two coaches.

"Hello," she said to Percy, "and who might you be?"

"I'm Percy, and I suppose you're Emily."

"I am. Are there any coaches here?" asked Emily.

"Yes, two," replied Percy and he puffed away saying "Good luck!"

Emily's driver looked around and suddenly found two shabby looking orange-brown coaches.

"Let's take those," the fireman said and he coupled Emily up, but the driver wasn't keen.

"These don't suit her style! Oh well, I suppose they'll do." and Emily puffed away.

Little did Emily or her crew know that they took Annie and Clarabel, Thomas' coaches.

And they felt insulted.

"How dare he say we'll do! How dare he say we'll do!" they grumbled.

The passengers got onboard and Emily puffed away.

Emily puffed carefully along the line towards Dyraw, with Annie and Clarabel grumbling behind her.

"How dare he say we'll do!"

Thomas was puffed past with a train of produce from the farms, and was shocked to see Annie and Clarabel.

"Hello Thomas!" Emily called, but Thomas was too shocked to say anything that instant.

But he had plenty to say when Emily passed.

"Hey! Those are my coaches! Give them back!" he shouted.

"Yes, please do! Yes, please do!" said the coaches.

"Driver, please! Go back! Go back!" cried Thomas, but his driver said, "We've got a job to do and we're going to do it."

At Dyraw, Harold was resting when Emily stopped at the station.

"Hello helicopter!" she said, but when Harold saw that Emily had Thomas' coaches, he simply scoffed.

Emily was upset as the guard blew his whistle.

Next, Emily stopped at Toryeck where Bertie would normally get Daisy's passengers.

Bertie was shocked and very cross.

"Hello bus! What's your name?"

Bertie didn't answer; he just drove away with some passengers once they climbed on board.

Emily didn't understand it.

"Why are they so unfriendly," she sighed to her driver, "I'm just trying to help."

"Well, some engines and vehicles take help for granted. Don't worry Emily, you're doing great," replied her driver.

Emily felt better, but was very upset still.

At Knapford, the Fat Controller spoke to Thomas.

"I want you to go to the harbour here and pick up some coaches." he said, but Thomas was cross.

"But sir!"

"Thomas, please be cooperative." sighed the Fat Controller

Thomas' driver nodded and Thomas puffed away, still grumbling.

"I don't want new coaches! I want Annie and Clarabel!" he sulked.

Emily finished her journey at Ffarquhar, then ran around to complete her journey at Knapford.

An hour later, Emily arrived back at the yards, to find another green tank engine, but this time it wasn't Percy. It was Oliver, but Emily didn't know that.

"Hello," whistled Emily.

Oliver looked over and his face fell.

"What's wrong?" asked Emily worriedly.

Oliver spoke up.

"Those are Thomas' coaches!" he yelled.

Emily gasped; it suddenly made sense.

"So that's why he looked cross! I better go and find him and apologize!" she said.

Oliver rolled his eyes and he puffed away to the Little Western.

Thomas was at Knapford Harbour with two coaches in the same livery as Emily.

"Bother! If only Emily would give Annie and Clarabel back; I don't want these!"

Thomas' driver winked at the fireman.

"He doesn't even know what these are for," he sniggered.

Thomas grumpily puffed away along the line.

Emily gave up on looking for Thomas when she arrived at Toryeck when a signalman flagged her down.

"I was in my signalbox watching Toby pass the points to make sure Thomas can pass with his trucks when Toby suddenly stopped. You better go see what's wrong," he said to Emily's driver.

Emily decided that "Toby" was the tram engine she saw up ahead.

"Alright," replied the driver and Emily advanced near the points.

Emily could see that Toby had broken down on the points with a train of stone.

Suddenly, Thomas' whistle could be heard in the distance.

"Thomas!" cried Emily

Thomas gasped when he saw Toby.

His driver braked hard, but Thomas was going fast.

"Ooooh," shivered Toby as he thought of being crushed.

Emily charged towards Toby's brakevan, and with a huge effort, pushed him and his trucks across the points, and onto a siding.

Thomas nearly missed Emily's tender.

The signalman pulled a lever and Thomas raced by.

"That was close. Thanks Emily," wheeshed Toby.

Emily was too tired to say anything.

That night, Emily took Daisy's place in the Ffarquhar Sheds.

The Fat Controller praised Emily when he drove up to his daily "good night" to his engines.

"Well done Emily. You saved one of my most oldest engines. You were very brave.' he said.

"The bravest!" agreed Percy.

"It gives me great pleasure to present to you some new coaches."

He pointed with his flashlight over to the same coaches Thomas had gotten from the Docks.

"Thank you sir!" beamed Emily and she looked over to the others.

"I'm sorry I took Annie and Clarabel Thomas," she said.

"Nah, it wasn't your fault. I'm sorry because I was so cross." replied Thomas.

"Friends?" asked Emily hopefully.

"Friends!" agreed Thomas.

Emily was happy; she finally had a true friend.

Emily now loves her coaches and the branch line.


	2. Mavis and Emily

Emily puffed into Ffarquhar Sheds after a long day.

Toby was still recovering from the incident last week, and Emily wanted to help.

"So, how's it going?" she asked.

"Fine, sort of. Thomas is helping me with my passengers because I don't feel as well as I did, but I still have to take my stone." replied the tram engine.

Emily sighed, but then something seemed to be wondered in her mind.

"Toby, where do you get your stone from?" Emily asked curiously.

Toby smiled.

"From the quarry of course. A kind Diesel named Mavis works there." Toby then frowned. "But she's pretty lonely."

"Why?" asked Emily.

"Because only I go up there, and even then I usually don't work with her; I just collect trucks and workmen and take them back home." replied Toby. "I feel bad sometimes."

Emily felt sorry for Mavis.

"I should go up there and cheer her up."

"Wait, but-"

Before Toby could say anymore, Emily was asleep.

"Oh dear... I hope she doesn't try it or else she could get arrested... Or worse..." worried Toby as he began to talk to Thomas and Percy.

The next morning, the firelighter lit Emily's fire and she puffed to get her new coaches.

"What a beautiful day," she said, looking up and seeing birds flying everywhere.

For a time she forgot her concern for Mavis, as she puffed along by Ffarquhar and Hackenbeck.

She grinned as she passed Percy at the loop at Elsbridge, but then saw Toby coming along the goods line that leads to Toryreck.

Suddenly she remembered.

"Oh no! I forgot to tell my driver this morning! Oh well, I'll tell him at Toryreck." puffed Emily to herself.

At Toryeck, as Toby passed onto the branch line, she explained her concern to her driver as the driver filled her water tank.

"I feel Mavis is lonely. Can't we go up to the quarry and see her?"

"It would be nice for her," the driver said thoughtfully, "We should go up there after our train."

So they decided.

At Elsbridge on their return journey, Thomas was on the other line when Emily arrived.

"Hello Emily." peeped Thomas.

"Hello Thomas! I'm going to go see Mavis." she whistled.

Thomas' face fell.

"How? It's against the law."

Emily was confused.

"It's against the law to see Mavis?"

"No, it's against the law to go up there without cowcatchers and sideplates. I got in trouble back in 1952 for it," explained Thomas.

"1952? It's 2012 now, and I doubt that law is still effective."

"Well, it is," retorted Thomas, "and trust me, don't mess with the police." and Thomas left.

Emily was now very upset for Mavis and herself.

"Poor Mavis..." she sighed, "Now she'll be lonely forever."

Emily wanted to do something about Mavis' loneliness, but she could think of nothing.

An hour later, she had to take a train to Tidmouth, so off she went.

She thought and thought as she puffed along, but no ideas came into her mind.

"Think... think... think!"

"Think about what?" said a voice.

Emily looked over and saw that it was Toby on a siding with some trucks at Elsbridge.

"Thinking of a way to not have Mavis lonely anymore," she replied and puffed away.

Toby sighed; he felt bad for Mavis too, but Emily was trying too hard.

Emily got a drink at Toryeck, where she suddenly got an idea.

"I know!" she shouted and startled an old lady.

Emily decided to tell her driver her plan.

"Why don't we just call the police to repeal the law?" she asked eagerly.

Her driver grinned.

"Well done Emily, you just have me an idea. I'll phone him tonight."

Emily was pleased.

At Ffarquhar Sheds, her driver used the telephone while Emily explained her plan to the others.

"Meh, sounds alright, but the police can't change the law. They'll need to suggest it to the government." said Toby.

"I doubt they will." snorted Thomas.

Emily sighed.

"Please try and be positive Thomas. I'm sure we can try."

Thomas rolled his eyes and fell asleep.

The next morning, her driver told Emily the info he received.

"They agree it's an outdated law, so they suggested it to the government."

Emily was pleased.

"I can't wait to finally meet Mavis!" she cried.

The next morning, she asked her driver.

"So far nothing," replied her driver.

Emily was upset, but decided to wait.

Weeks passed, and still no letter.

Emily was beginning to wonder if they decided to say "no."

"Oh dear, I hope they don't say 'no'.."

"Told you," grumbled Thomas.

Emily was cross, but began to consider that Thomas may be right.

One night, Percy arrived with the mail, and his driver was holding a letter.

"It's for you and Emily," explained Percy's driver as he handed it to Emily's driver.

"Wow! Emily, they repealed it!" cried Emily's driver as he waved it in front of Emily's face.

Emily blew her whistle in delight.

Thomas was taken aback.

"See? Just be positive," grinned Emily and she fell asleep, leaving Thomas very surprised indeed.

The next morning, Toby let Emily take his empty trucks up to the quarry.

"But be careful," Toby warned, "Trucks only like certain engines."

"I know," replied Emily and she puffed away.

Emily was happy as she approached the quarry.

"I can't wait to surprise her!"

Mavis sighed as she biffed her trucks.

"Toby should be here any moment..." she thought but was surprised to see a Stirling Single puff up instead.

"What the? You're not Toby!" cried Mavis in shock.

Emily smiled.

"I never said I was. I'm Emily, the new engine. And you're Mavis."

Mavis was surprised.

"What are you doing here? This is for tram engines only!"

"That law's long gone," replied Emily, "I did it because you were lonely."

Mavis was very happy indeed and befriended Emily.

The two engines worked together for the rest of the day.

"Thanks for helping me Emily," smiled Mavis, "The work's much easier with two engines."

"And it's more fun," agreed Emily as she headed off back to the shed.

Now Emily and Percy, along with Toby, come up with trucks and often talk with Mavis.

Mavis isn't lonely now, and made a great friend: Emily.


End file.
